TD Sunfest Presents… Alexis Baro’s Jazz Quintet
From Aeolian’s Website:
Juno Award nominated trumpeter Alexis Baro was born into a musical family in Havana, Cuba. Classically trained, he took up the trumpet at the age of age 8 and completed his musical education receiving a teaching certification at the prestigious Amadeo Roldán Music Conservatory in Havana.
While in school he became a member of the Buena Vista Social Club super star Omara Portuondo’s band, and later at the age of 19 played lead trumpet for the National Radio and Television Orchestra. After moving to Toronto, Canada in 2001, he was discovered by iconic Canadian jazz drummer Archie Alleyne where he flourished as a writer and performer for eight years as a member of the Canadian award winning ‘hard-bop” band Kollage. As a band member he was nominated for “Best Jazz Trumpeter” by the Canadian National Jazz Awards in the years 2006, 2007, and 2008. Baro has participated in more than 60 albums and can be heard as a feature solist on some of the most transcendent Latin albums made in Canada such as Hilario Duran’s Grammy Award nominated album “From The Heart”. He has performed with such artists as Nikky Yanofsky, David Foster, Michael Bubble, Paul Anca, Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade, Paquito d’ Rivera, Jimmy Bosch, Miguel Zenon, Hilario Duran, Robi Botos, Jesus Alemaney & Cubanismo, David Virelles, Andrea Boccelli, Gino Vanelli, Esthero, David Rudder, Juan de Marco & The Afro-Cuban All Stars, and Horacio “el negro” Hernandez. Highlights in his solo career include opening for Herbie Hancock, and tours of South America and the West Indies. He’s released six albums as a solo artist “Havana Banana”, “From the Other Side”, “Blue Skin”, “Guilty Pleasure” which won a Gold Medal “Global Music Award” in the jazz category in 2015, “Sugar Rush” his 2016 release featuring a collection of new original Afro Cuban jazz compositions. His latest recording “Sandstorm” has received critical acclaim receiving a 2019 Juno Award nomination (the Canadian equal of a Grammy Award) for “Best Jazz Album: Solo Artist” category.
